Part I: Getting Started with Music Theory 7

Chapter 1: What Is Music Theory, Anyway? 9

Chapter 2: Determining What Notes Are Worth 15

Chapter 3: Giving It a Rest 29

Chapter 4: Introducing Time Signatures 37

Chapter 5: Playing with Beat 51

Part II: Putting Notes Together 59

Chapter 6: Music Notes (And Where to Find Them) 61

Chapter 7: Mastering the Major and Minor Scales 79

Chapter 8: Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths 93

Chapter 9: Intervals: The Distance between Pitches 109

Chapter 10: Chord Building 133

Chapter 11: Chord Progressions 157

Part III: Musical Expression through Form, Tempo, Dynamics, and More 175

Chapter 12: The Building Blocks of Music: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, and Song Form 177

Chapter 13: Relying on Classical Forms 189

Chapter 14: Tapping Into Popular Genres and Forms 199

Chapter 15: Creating Varied Sound through Tempo and Dynamics 207

Chapter 16: Instrument Tone Color and Acoustics 219

Part IV: The Part of Tens 225

Chapter 17: Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Music Theory 227

Chapter 18: Ten Valuable Music Resources 233

Chapter 19: Ten Music Theorists You Should Know About 239

Part V: Appendixes 247

Appendix A: On the CD 249

Appendix B: Chord Chart 255

Appendix C: Glossary 293

Index 297